Fuel tank



5 sheets-Sheet 1 R. H. DAVIES FUEL TANK Filed April 6' 1945 7u @WMU/Lum Nov. 7, 1950 R. H. DAvlEs FUEL TANK 5 sheetssheet 2 Filed April e, 1945 ATTORNEY@ y Nov. 7, 1950 R H, DAvlEs 2,528,499

FUEL TANK Filed April 6, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Mm, @m/Lid Patented Nov. 7, 1950 FUEL 'TANK Robert H. Davies, Cieveland, Ohio, assignor to The Parker Appliance Company, Cieveland, (Ehio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 6, 19457, Serial No. 586,872

i Claims.

The present invention relates to fuel tanks and more particularly to such tanks which will permit refueling from the bottom thereof.

An important object of the invention is to pro- Vide means which will permit refueling of a fuel tank from the bottom 'thereof and means associated therewith for automatically shutting oil the incoming fluid when the tank is full.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fuel tank having a valve controlled inlet in the bottom thereof adapted to receive the refueling nozzle, the pressure of the incoming uid unseating the valve and permitting fuel to flow into the tank.

A further object of the invention is to provide means in the form of a pilot valve attached to the top of the tank and in direct communication with the valve controlled inlet for automatically shut# ting off the incoming fluid when the tank is full.

These and other objects will in lpart be obvious and will in part be more fully disclosed in the drawings which show one embodiment of the invention. n

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a fuel tank embodying the means for filling from the bottom thereof and the automatic shut-off means.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the main inlet valve which is attached to the bottom wall of the tank.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken substantially on line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the main inlet valve detached from the tank.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the float controlled pilot valve, the same being detached from the upper wall of the tank.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the refueling nozzle which is to be associated with the main inlet valve when filling the tank.

Figure '7 is a sectional view of the refueling nozzle being taken substantially on line l-l of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description thereof, a fuel tank of well-known construction is generally designated by the reference numeral i0, the bottom wall of said tank supporting a main inlet valve l! while the top wall thereof supports a pilot valve I2. The valves Il and I2 are connected by means of a pipe i3 one end of which is coupled to the extension i@ of the main inlet valve i5 and the other end of which is coupled with the port i5 of the pilot valve l2. The pipe I3 is preferably formed of two sections which are united by a coupling or 2 the like I6 attached to the top of the tank it. As will hereinafter appear, fuel entering the inlet valve Ii will pass upwardly through the pipe i3 and into the pilot valve i2. The main portion of the fuel, however, will enter the tank from a suitable outlet provided in the valve Il.

The main .inlet valve` Il is more particularly shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, the same comprising a cylindrical casing il having an inlet i8 and four passages 2Q spaced vannularly of the casing which communicate with an annular space i9. The annular space I9 entirely surrounds the casing il as shown in Figure 3 and the passages 2t communicate therewith in a manner whereby fuel admitted through the inlet I8 will be discharged into the space I9 and from said space to the passage 2t for discharge into the tank IEB. The casing Il is attached to .the bottom wall 2i of the tank lil through the annular flange 22 which fiange is formed with an annular shoulder 23 equal to the diameter of the opening 2li formed in the bottom wall 2l. The ange 22 is Aattached to the tank by means of screws or the like 25. rEhus it will be'seen that the casing l1 extends upwardly within the tank it while being iiXedly secured to the bottom wall thereof through the annular flange 22 and screws 25.

The main inlet valve l l further includes a cup-shaped member 25 which is attached to the casing il by cap screws or the like 2, the cupshaped member 2t and casing ii forming a substantially unitary construction. This cupshaped member 2B' is closed except for the opening 28 in the coupling member l@ to which the rpipe I3 leading to the pilot valve i2 is connected.

A piston type valve 29 is slidably supported in the cup-shaped member 2t and is of the type disclosed in the patent granted Arthur L. Parker, September 2, 1947, No.` 2,426,900. `The bottom wall 3i] of the valve 2Q is provided with packing members 3l which normally engage the inner wall of the casing Il on opposite sides of the space I9 for sealing said space from the inlet I8. Pressure exerted by the spring 32 maintains the valve including the packing members Si in sealing engagement with the casing il. As will hereinafter appear, the Valve.29 will be lifted from its seat.

to permit fluid to enter the space i9 and passages 2i) for discharge into the tank only when the pressure differential on opposite sides of the valve 29 is suflicient to overcome the pressure exerted by the spring 32.

The bottom wall 3Q of thevalve 23 is further formed with a restricted orifice 3i and a second orifice of slightly larger diameter 3. Recesses V tunning at 93 itssource of `supplyis then turned -onand will 35 and l3G communicate with the orifices 33 and 34 respectively in which are positioned ball check valves 31 and 38. These ball check valves 31 and 38 are held in their respective recesses by individual screens and snap rings 38 and 48.vv The ball check valve 31 is raised by the incoming prevented from being lost or mislaid by a chain 43 one end of which is attached to the cap as indicated at 44 and the other end of which is attached to the casing as indicated at 45. A

-gasket 46 in the casing prevents leakage of fuel during refueling and likewise prevents leakage when the cap 42 is in position. The cap 42 is associated with a quick connect adaptor 41 which is attached to the bottom end of the casing by the screws 48. This adaptor is formed with two diametrically opposed slots #i3 and the closure cap v-42 has corresponding projecting lugs 5S whereby 'only 90 turning is required to effect connection and disconnection of the cap.

The refueling nozzle 1I) shown in Figures 6 and '1 is likewise formed with diametrically opposed projecting lugs 5I which correspond to the slots 49. This refueling nozzle 1U is inserted in the inlet I8 after removal of the cap 42 and when desiring to refuel the tank. The nozzle 1I] further includes a central passage 52 adapted to communicate with the inlet I8 and a pair of arms- 53 to be engaged when positioning and removing the nozzle. A threaded opening 54 is provided for attaching the nozzle to the pressure line.

The pilot valve is illustrated in Figure 5. of the drawings and comprises a casingA 55 having a flange 56 thereon for attachment to the top of a tank. This casing has a central aperture 51 therethrough which communicates with the port I5, said aperture being opened or closed by a valve member 58 slidably 'mounted in a plug 59 attached to the casing. A cage 83 is attached to the casing by screws 6I said cage supporting a oat 62 which is slidably mounted therein. AsA

is to be understood, the float 82 exerts a buoyant force upward when the fuel tank is full and as vit moves upwardly it makes contact with the lower 5;,

end of theV slidable valve 56 .toV closethe orifice 51. When the level of the fluid in the tank drops, the iioat will drop to the position shown in Figure 5 allowing the valve 58 to move downwardly away from the orifice 51.

En the operation of the device, let it be assumed that the tank l0 is empty and that it is desired to fill the same. The closure cap 42 is rotated until. the lugs 58 are in alignment with the slots 49 whereupon a downward pull on the cap will release the same from the casing l1. It is, of course, to be understood that the valve member 28 is maintained Von its seatby pressure exerted by the spring 32 and that the ballV checks 31 and 38 are likewise seated. After removal of the cap 42, the refueling nozzle 13 is then inserted in the inlet port with its lugs '5i in alignment with the slots 49 and locked therein by Fuel under pressure from enter the inlet I8 from the nozzle 10. The incoming fluid will unseat the ball check 31 filling the chamber 4i prior to its discharge through the pipe I3 into the pilot valve I2 through the port I 5 and restricted orice 51. The oriiice 51 is larger than the orifice 33 and accordingly the fuel will pass more rapidly through the former than it can be replenished through the orifice 33 thus resulting in a pressure differential between the inlet I8 and the chamber 4l. When this pressure differential exceeds the pressure exerted by the spring 32, the main valve 28 will move away from its seat to permit free flow of fuel into the tank through the passages I9 and annular space 28. The tank, of course, has suitable vents, not shown, at the top thereof to permit the escapement of the air being displaced by the entering fuel. Since the cage 60 and float valve 82 are supported within the tank i8, the float will be acted upon by the incoming uid and will gradually rise within the cage 6I).

When the tank is full, the float 82 will have contacted the valve 58 and lifted the same so as to close the orifice 51. When the orifice 51 is closed, the pressure in the inlet I8 and the chamber 4I will be equalized and since the pressure exerted by the spring 32 upon the valve 29 is greater than this equalized pressure, said valve will close to prevent further fuel from entering the tank. With the closing of the valve 28, a shut-off valve associated with the nozzle is then closed and the nozzleV removed and the closure cap replaced. Subsequently as the fuel level in the tank drops, the float will drop to permit the valve 58- to open but such opening of this valve has no eifect on the main valve 28.

As described above, the valve 29 will be forced toward its seat as soon as thev orifice 51 in the pilot valve l2 is closed. By reason of the ball check 38, iluid under pressure cannot leak from inlet i8, orifice 33 and chamber 4I into the tank. Likewise, the ball check 31 prevents fluid from draining from the tank out through-passage I8 after the fuel nozzle has been removed, and

. in addition provides for pressure seating of the Valve 29 by the head of fluid in the tank. This arrangement not only makes the main inlet valve a check valve in that fluid can only iow therethrough into the tank, but also makes it a stop valve to prevent iiuid from entering the tank after the fluid in the tank has reached a predetermined level. Inasmuch as the valve 28 is fluid pressure seated whether the dominant pressure is within or without the tank, spring 32 is only necessary to overcome the sliding friction of the valve 28 in the cup 23 and to make the valve 28 operate quickerand more positively. When the valve 28 is closed, the check valve 31 prevents thepassage of iiuid'from the upper side of the valve to inlet side thereof. lThe check valve 38 is also closed so thatthe chamber 4I above the valve is a closed chamber except for the connection to the pipe i8 leading to the pilotV valve. During fueling, this pipe becomes filled with the fuel and therefore there is a certain head on the fuel in the pipe l-ii which bears upon and is distributed over the entire upper surface of the valve and aids in holding the valve firmly seated when in its closed position. Therefore, when the valve is closed, the head within the pilot line Vwill act directly on kthe valve for holding the same closedwhether the float operated pilot is open or closed. The head within the Ytank proper will gain access g to the upper side of the valve through the vaive 33, if the head on the tank exceeds the head within the pilot. This insures that the main valve will be held rmly seated after the tank is filled and during the taking of the fuel from the tank for consumption.

While for purposes of illustration a specific type of main valve and pilot valve has been illustrated and described, it is obvious that either of these valves can be of a form other than that shown and it is not intended that this application should be limited to any specic valve structure.

It will also be understood that many changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a fueltank, a casing attached to the bottom of the tank and having an inlet surrounded at its inner end by a valve seat, said casing having outlets leading to the tank, a valve in said casing for closing said inlet, a spring for moving the valve toward said seat, a float controlled pilot valve at the upper side of said tank, a tube connected to said casing above the valve and extending upwardly therefrom and connected at its upper end to said pilot valve, means whereby fluid pressure on the inlet will close said valve when the pilot valve is closed, and means whereby the pressure of the fuel in said tube operates to aid in holding the valve firmly seated when in closed position and pressure in the inlet is relieved.

2. In a fuel tank, a casing attached tothe bottom of the tank and having an inlet surrounded at its inner end by a valve seat, said casing having outlets leading to the tank, a valve in said casing for closing said inlet, a spring for moving the valve toward said seat, a oat controlled pilot valve at the upper side of said tank, a tube connected to said casing above the valve and extending upwardly therefrom and connected at its upper end to said pilot valve, said valve having a restricted opening therethrough whereby uid pressure on the inlet will close the valve when the pilot valve is closed, and means whereby the pressure of fuel in said tube operates to aid in holding the valve firmly seated when in closed position and pressure in the inlet is relieved.

3. In a fuel tank, a casing attached to the bottom of the tank and having an inlet surrounded at its inner end by a valve seat, said casing having outlets leading to the tank, a valve in said casing for closing said inlet, a spring for moving the valve toward said seat, a float controlled pilot Valve at the upper side of said tank, a tube connected to said casing above the valve and extending upwardly therefrom and connected at its upper end to said pilot valve, said valve having a restricted opening therethrough whereby the fluid pressure on the inlet will close the valve when the pilot valve is closed, and a valve for closing said opening to the passage of fuel from the inner to the outer sides `thereof whereby the pressure of the fuel in said tube will operate to aid in holding the valve firmly seated when in closed position and pressure in the inlet is relieved.

4. In a fuel tank, a casing attached tofthe bottom of the tank and having an inlet surrounded at its inner end by a valve seat, said casing having outlets leading to the tank, a Valve in said casing for closing said inlet, a spring for moving the valve toward said seat, a float controlled pilot valve at the upper side of said tank, a tube connected to said casing above the valve and extending upwardly therefrom and connected at its upper end to said pilot valve, said valve having a, restricted opening therethrough whereby the uid pressure on the inlet will close the valve when the pilot valve is closed, and a valve for closing said opening to the passage of fue1 from the inner to the outer sides thereof whereby the pressure of the fuel in said tube will operate to aid in holding the valve firmly seated when in closed position and pressure in, the inlet is relieved, a restricted passage connecting the tank to the casing above said valve whereby the pressure of the fuel in the tank will operate to aid in holding the valve firmly seated when in closed position, when the head thereon exceeds the head on the tube connecting the casing to the pilot valve, and a check valve for closing said passage to prevent flow of fluid from the casing to the tank.

ROBERT H. DAVIES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNTTED STATES PATENTS 4* Number Name Date 545,519 Mohn Sept. 3, 1895 557,975 Coony Apr. 7, 1896 703,805 Murray July l, 1902 926,400 Freany June 29, 1909 976,222 Silliman Nov. 22, 1910 1,188,112 Temple June 20, 1916 2,211,237 Langdon Aug. 13, 1940 2,384,628 Krone Sept. 11, 1945 2,426,900 Parker Sept. 2, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 347,338 France of 1905 

